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Black Friday sales have already begun in Australia, revealing Apple offers on the buying holiday. As expected, this year the company is offering rebate Apple Retail gift cards rather than discounting items directly, with the idea that customers will use the card to purchase accessories or apply it to other Apple purchases. Mac purchases earn a $150 gift card, iPad purchases receive a $75 card, and iPod buyers get a $50 card. However, the European Black Friday deals are quite different.

Australian rebate rewards

The Australian and NZ gift card rebate cannot be combined with other offers (such as the Education discount). Store personnel, according to reports, have been instructed to assist customers in figuring out the best in-store promotions for their particular needs. Apple is discounting the non-Retina, previous-generation iPad mini model, but not the new Retina-quality Mini model or any iPhone models. Selected accessories and peripherals can earn up to $50 in gift cards, depending on the cost of the items.

In Europe, however, the company has stuck to its traditional policy of straight discounts, leaving observers confused about how the company will handle the sales event tomorrow in the US and Canada. The European discounts are fairly modest, with most ranging under 10 percent. AppleInsider reports that the UK online store is offering the 16GB iPad Air at only £31 ($50) off its normal price, with Macs receiving an £81 ($132) price break. The iPod touch and Apple TV are reported as seeing $40 and $25 reductions, respectively.

Depending on the specific item a buyer wants, other retailers may offer better discounts. Online retailer MacMall, for example, is offering a mid-2012 11-inch MacBook Air for $329 less than its original retail price, and is also tied with Best Buy for the best discount on 13-inch Retina MacBook Pros. Best Buy is also offering some 21-inch iMac models at up to $200 off retail. Buyers seeking discounts on iPhones should look to carriers for their own Black Friday sales, such as T-Mobile's plan to discount its monthly payments on the smartphones.